Early in December 2013, Gerry McCann was contacted by email at the University of Hospital of Leicester, where he is a Consultant Cardiologist. He was asked what had happened to the Reward Fund. His reply, within the hour, was courteous and clear:

That is something you will need to take up with News International.My understanding is that the reward was made up of pledges.Gerry

Ten weeks after the company had shut down the News of the World [in 2011] a Press Officer was asked [about the reward]

The reply, six days later, was also courteous and clear:

Thank you for your enquiry.I can confirm that the funds raised by the appeal were donated in April this year (2011) to the official Madeleine Fund and the fund created by News of the World is no longer active.http://asaucesaid.blogspot.nl/

Early in December 2013, Gerry McCann was contacted by email at the University of Hospital of Leicester, where he is a Consultant Cardiologist. He was asked what had happened to the Reward Fund. His reply, within the hour, was courteous and clear:

That is something you will need to take up with News International.My understanding is that the reward was made up of pledges.Gerry

Ten weeks after the company had shut down the News of the World [in 2011] a Press Officer was asked [about the reward]

The reply, six days later, was also courteous and clear:

Thank you for your enquiry.I can confirm that the funds raised by the appeal were donated in April this year (2011) to the official Madeleine Fund and the fund created by News of the World is no longer active.http://asaucesaid.blogspot.nl/

It seems to me there's a big chunk missing from this i.e. was the same question posed?

News of the World speak of funds relating to an appeal not a reward offered by the press.

Early in December 2013, Gerry McCann was contacted by email at the University of Hospital of Leicester, where he is a Consultant Cardiologist. He was asked what had happened to the Reward Fund. His reply, within the hour, was courteous and clear:

That is something you will need to take up with News International.My understanding is that the reward was made up of pledges.Gerry

Ten weeks after the company had shut down the News of the World [in 2011] a Press Officer was asked [about the reward]

The reply, six days later, was also courteous and clear:

Thank you for your enquiry.I can confirm that the funds raised by the appeal were donated in April this year (2011) to the official Madeleine Fund and the fund created by News of the World is no longer active.http://asaucesaid.blogspot.nl/

It seems to me there's a big chunk missing from this i.e. was the same question posed?

News of the World speak of funds relating to an appeal not a reward offered by the press.

More info needed to clarify this imo.

The blog states the following questions were asked:

1. Is (the Reward Fund) still active?2. How much was raised and what has happened to the funds since?3. Given the demise of the newspaper, who is now responsible for the administration of this account?4. What are the current plans for the Fund?

The News of the World press officer replied:

Thank you for your enquiry.I can confirm that the funds raised by the appeal were donated in April this year (2011) to the official Madeleine Fund and the fund created by News of the World is no longer active.

The blog does say there is more to follow so we'll have to wait and see

hello Peter, what I gather from the blog is, in 2013 Gerry McCann was asked about the News of the World Reward fund and he replied it was best to contact News International because it was his understanding that the Reward was just pledges. But, in 2011, a press officer had already confirmed, in a reply to an inquiry regarding the reward, that when the appeal closed the money collected was paid into the FindMadeleine fund in April of that year.As far as I know the paper did not have any other appeal for money related to the McCanns.

Yes, if the News of the World paid over the donations from their readers in April 2011 then they would be included in the audited accounts for the year ended 31 march 2012.

These accounts make no mention of the NOTW fund either in the Directors Report, as an analysed item under Income in the Income and Expenditure or as a note to the accounts. It is not a statutory requirement to mention in the accounts the receipt of this money but you would think that common good manners would dictate that it was mentioned somewhere. The directors could have included it in their report, thanked the NOTW and their readers who donated and indicated the amount involved.

As I have written in my analysis of the Fund's audited accounts which are available on www.mccannfiles.com the lack of information is strange given the commitment to openness and transparency in the accounts 'whatever it cost' to quote from Dr Kate McCann's book.

____________________Author of Fateful Decisions: there's a fine line between acceptable parenting and neglect. www.enidodowd.comAuthor of A Review of the background to setting up the limited company Madeleine's Fund: leaving no Stone Unturned and a forensic examination of the company accounts. Available on www.mccannfiles.com

if the funds actually collected (not the celebrity pledges which effectively don't exist) were paid across to the general McCann fund, it would appear that the NOTW have acted illegally.

The only way around this would have been for the funds to have been paid across under Trust, in a separate account, still as 'reward' money, until such time as it was decreed that no reward would ever be paid (about now maybe?) at which time the funds should be distributed equally between the three named charities.

Such an account could (and probably should) fall outside of the 'Find M.' accounts and would not therefore be visible, but this is not what the NOTW seem to say they did with the money.

If these funds have gone into the 'Find' accounts, they should certainly be identifiable as a specific item and not included as part of the company assets, as they will either get paid away as 'reward' or distributed.

A letter to the Charity Commissioners seeking clarification of the NOTW account and actions would seem appropriate.

I've seen some "bitter twitter" on the subject of the News of the World giving the £1.5 million reward money to the Find Madeleine Fund. I thought I would bump this thread due to increased forum traffic in case anyone missed this.

In answer to your question, a total of £21,257.32 was received and banked in The Madeline (sic) Fund HSBC Bank Account No 52135590 between May 2007 and November 2007. No other payments save those relating to this particular appeal were received from readers into this account.

In April, 2011, after a considerable length of time had passed and taking into account the circumstances of the McCann family, it was agreed by senior executives at the News of the World that the £21,257.32 should be paid to Madeline's (sic) Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned. This fund is a not-for-profit company which was established to find Madeline (sic) McCann, support her family and bring her abductors to justice. See http://www.findmadeleine.com/about_us/madeleines-fund.html for more details about this fund, the directors of the company as well as its objectives.

News International recognises that, in transferring the payments collected in 2007 to the Madeline's (sic) Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned in April 2011, the News of the World may not have strictly complied with the terms under which that money was collected from its readers. The article dated 13 May, 2007 stated under the heading 'How you can add to the reward': 'Should the reward remain unpaid for any reason, the portion made up of readers' donations will be shared equally by children's charities Barnado's, Childline and the NSPCC.' It was decided, entirely in good faith, that it would be more appropriate, given the circumstances of the McCann family, that the money be transferred to Madeline's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned, as opposed to splitting the donations between the three charities.

We would like to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We are in the process of notifying the three charities of the findings of our investigation into this matter, but feel, on balance, that the decision taken to pass the money collected to Madeline's (sic) Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned was the right one, both ethically and morally, taking into account the difficulties and sensitivities surrounding this tragic matter.

The dates in the article are a bit confused as 2012 seems to drop back to 2011. If it was 2012 the final response stating the amount would be 2013 or 2014. Hopefully they will clarify this.

In any event NI confirm that they have not acted in accordance with the terms of the reward fund:

'It was decided, entirely in good faith, that it would be more appropriate, given the circumstances of the McCann family, that the money be transferred to Madeline's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned, as opposed to splitting the donations between the three charities.'

"News of the World may not have strictly complied with the terms under which that money was collected from its readers"

NOTW didn't comply with the terms at all. Readers donated to a REWARD fund in good faith but as usual the public were conned. When the paper closed the money should've been divided between the three children's charities, Barnado's, Childline and the NSPCC as per the terms. NOTW gave it to the McCanns and didn't tell readers what it had done with their money until it was prised out of them. The McCanns always avoid any mention of the reward, now we know why.There's quite a lot of appeals in newspapers, but it appears once they've got their hands on the money they can do anything they like with it

@tasprin. Yes, it is typical that it is Joe Public being fleeced as usual. Typical that the big hitters offered pledges whilst the little people donated cash.

I am sure that scales are falling quite rapidly from the public's eyes judging by what I see written across the internet. From fb to Sky, the comments are coming thick and fast. I sense TM are feeling the heat.

In answer to your question, a total of £21,257.32 was received and banked in The Madeline (sic) Fund HSBC Bank Account No 52135590 between May 2007 and November 2007. No other payments save those relating to this particular appeal were received from readers into this account.

In April, 2011, after a considerable length of time had passed and taking into account the circumstances of the McCann family, it was agreed by senior executives at the News of the World that the £21,257.32 should be paid to Madeline's (sic) Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned. This fund is a not-for-profit company which was established to find Madeline (sic) McCann, support her family and bring her abductors to justice. See http://www.findmadeleine.com/about_us/madeleines-fund.html for more details about this fund, the directors of the company as well as its objectives.

News International recognises that, in transferring the payments collected in 2007 to the Madeline's (sic) Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned in April 2011, the News of the World may not have strictly complied with the terms under which that money was collected from its readers. The article dated 13 May, 2007 stated under the heading 'How you can add to the reward': 'Should the reward remain unpaid for any reason, the portion made up of readers' donations will be shared equally by children's charities Barnado's, Childline and the NSPCC.' It was decided, entirely in good faith, that it would be more appropriate, given the circumstances of the McCann family, that the money be transferred to Madeline's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned, as opposed to splitting the donations between the three charities.

We would like to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We are in the process of notifying the three charities of the findings of our investigation into this matter, but feel, on balance, that the decision taken to pass the money collected to Madeline's (sic) Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned was the right one, both ethically and morally, taking into account the difficulties and sensitivities surrounding this tragic matter.

Absolutely disgusting.

Ethically and morally?I would imagine that in cases where money is used or paid out by Barnado's, Childline and the NSPCC each one would also be surrounding difficult and senstive, tragic cases, not paying a mortgage!

I have seen that the MC's are still trying to reap the rewards of their child's demise by selling "holiday packs", but surely now with two police forces actively looking for their daughter, following every lead it would be a good time for this money to be given to the rightful charities. They can have no excuse to hang on to it.It is a great tragedy that Madeleine never needed any money, only decent parents. But the children represented by these charities do need the money. The McCann's should never had accepted it in the first place however they should now give it back.

There seems to be a simple remedy: split the money in the Fund that came from the public via News of the World, and give it to the three charities in question NOW. What about it Gerry & Kate, if you are reading this?

@Mirage wrote:I've seen some "bitter twitter" on the subject of the News of the World giving the £1.5 million reward money to the Find Madeleine Fund. I thought I would bump this thread due to increased forum traffic in case anyone missed this.

I often wonder how much, in total, has poured into their coffers.

Me too, Mirage, me too.

If indeed the reward money was used for the "normal" Fund activities, wouldn't that be "inappropriate" use of the money?

____________________"And if Madeleine had hurt herself inside the apartment, why would that be our fault?" Gerry

In answer to your question, a total of £21,257.32 was received and banked in The Madeline (sic) Fund HSBC Bank Account No 52135590 between May 2007 and November 2007. No other payments save those relating to this particular appeal were received from readers into this account.

In April, 2011, after a considerable length of time had passed and taking into account the circumstances of the McCann family, it was agreed by senior executives at the News of the World that the £21,257.32 should be paid to Madeline's (sic) Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned. This fund is a not-for-profit company which was established to find Madeline (sic) McCann, support her family and bring her abductors to justice. See http://www.findmadeleine.com/about_us/madeleines-fund.html for more details about this fund, the directors of the company as well as its objectives.

News International recognises that, in transferring the payments collected in 2007 to the Madeline's (sic) Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned in April 2011, the News of the World may not have strictly complied with the terms under which that money was collected from its readers. The article dated 13 May, 2007 stated under the heading 'How you can add to the reward': 'Should the reward remain unpaid for any reason, the portion made up of readers' donations will be shared equally by children's charities Barnado's, Childline and the NSPCC.' It was decided, entirely in good faith, that it would be more appropriate, given the circumstances of the McCann family, that the money be transferred to Madeline's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned, as opposed to splitting the donations between the three charities.

We would like to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We are in the process of notifying the three charities of the findings of our investigation into this matter, but feel, on balance, that the decision taken to pass the money collected to Madeline's (sic) Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned was the right one, both ethically and morally, taking into account the difficulties and sensitivities surrounding this tragic matter.

So NI was also lured into thinking the fund was a charity, which it is NOT. For new readers here the "Fund" is a company, aimed for profit, especially for the family.

____________________"And if Madeleine had hurt herself inside the apartment, why would that be our fault?" Gerry

No, News International know the Fund is not a charity, but for reasons known only to themselves decided that they would give the money to a not for profit company. It wouldn't have been so bad if they had donated to a different charity but one connected with children - that would be obeying the spirit in which the money was donated if not the letter.

And as for Gerry and his 'ask News International' - it would appear to be yet another little dishonesty. If he really didn't know how the Fund had received £21K, then as a director he should jolly well have asked and made it his business to find out. It's not as though the sum is just petty cash.

Eddie and Keela alerted to items and places concerned with the McCanns - and importantly to no other items or places.

According to Eddie and Keela, the body of Madeleine McCann lay lifeless behind the sofa in Apartment 5a, clinging to the only thing from which she could derive any comfort; a soft toy called 'Cuddle cat'.

Kate's book 'madeleine', Page 219: "Did they really believe that a dog could smell the 'odour of death' three months later from a body that had been removed so swiftly?"

After forensic analysis of the 'Last Photo' there is little doubt now that the pool photo CANNOT POSSIBLY have been taken on the Thursday 3rd May, but most likely on the Sunday 29th April. So, where was Madeleine at lunchtime on Thursday?

John McCann:"This was terrible for them, Kate dressed Amelie in her sister's pyjamas and the baby said: "Maddy's jammies, where is Maddy?"Martin Roberts:"If Madeleine's pyjamas had not, in fact, been abducted then neither had Madeleine McCann."Dr Martin Roberts: A Nightwear Job

Death Toll in McCann Case

Gerry McCann called for an example to be made of 'trolls'. SKY reporter Martin Brunt doorstepped Brenda Leyland on 2 October 2014 after a 'Dossier' was handed in to Police by McCann supporters. She was then found dead in a Leicester hotel room the next day. Brenda paid the price.

Colin Sahlke died suddenly in mysterious circumstances with a significant amount of morphine in his system. At the Inquest the coroner said there was no evidence as to how he had come to take morphine, and no needle mark was found.Gerry McCann had met Sahlkebefore he helped with the search but did not show any concern for his death. Link

Ex-Met DCI Andy Redwood had a "revelation moment" on BBC1's Crimewatch on 14th October 2013 when he announced that Operation Grange had eliminated the Tanner sighting - which opened up the 'window' of opportunity' from 3 minutes to 45 minutes, in accordance with their remit, to allow the staged abduction to happen.

The 'SunOnline' journalist, Tracey Kandohla: "A McCann pal told The Sun Online: "Some of the savings have been siphoned off from the Find Maddie Fund into a fixed asset account, which financial experts have advised them to do. It can be used for purchases like buying a house, or building equipment."